I have a 2000 f-150 ex. cab with a 5.4 and 3.55lsd and i was wondering what the most restrictive things are on this truck performance wise. Since its a ford I image the computer tune and exhaust manifolds are really restrictive. So lets here it, whats the most restrictive?

 

The factory tune is a bit "moderate" as far as top end performance goes.(soft shifts etc.) But aside from a tuner, you're not gonna see any "noticable" gains from any other (single) performance mod. IMO A truck with a tuner will (for the most part) hang with a truck with tuner exhaust, intake, etc.. A tuner gives your truck the ability to optimize high octane fuel. That coupled with firmer shifts, and raised shift points give you the best "bang for your buck". Anything else gives performance gains only measured by the 1/4 or a dyno.

 

Basicly the program has torque manegment, the engine is only 281 cu/in for the smaller v8 and the trucks weighs in at 5500 lbs +/-.
This is one big reason the trans has wide gearing to help out with the lack of torque.
Mods, as you may know them from the past, are very expensive to apply and get results on these motors as opposed to the old motors..

 

Sad, but true. We are fast approaching the day when the hood of your new vehicle will have a sticker on it that says "No user serviceable parts inside."

 

NO IT ISN'T! Trucks are SOOOOO much better now days than the old ones. They last longer than ever before, with MUCH less problems. 250,000 on an original set of injectors, COP's, trans, etc. is not uncommon. You got lucky if you went that far on a carbureator and distributor.

 

I would agree. From an engineering standpoint, vehicles in general are just better all together. however, they use plastic on everything these days and it falls off, rattles (chevy interiors are the worst), or gets sun faded.




jeff

 

... As opposed to:

Steel, with weighs a ton, rattles, rusts & falls off, or...

Aluminum, which is light, costs a fortune, oxidizes, stress-fractures & falls off ...

Taek you pick - heavy or brittle. I'll take plastics - at least it keeps the cost /weight down, can be made to look half-decent ( ever see a steel dash?), and can last with reasonable care....

BTW - even with the OP's 5.4 stroker, it's suboptimal to different degrees everywhere - weight, gearing, PCM engine & tranny tuning, intake, exhaust, driveline losses ( ~30%). Single best wake-up call is a proper custom tune. Throw in 4:10's, and it just may feel a little better. As Blugrass says, it can get costly.

 

What are you taking exception to? My "Sad, but true" comment was just agreeing with Bluegrass's statement that mods are getting more and more expensive to apply and get results on these motors. It had nothing to do with longevity or dependability.

 

I was responding to this portion of your statement...
I was saying that vehicles are designed MUCH better than ever before. Although the parts are not "user servicable" they are much easier to deal with from a mechanical standpoint. Anybody with a code reader can tell diagnose "most" vechicle problems and fix many of them easily. Albeit, a bad O2 sensor, a bad COP, IAT sensor, DPFE sensor, or EGR valve, is not "user servicable" but it is relatively easy to do, and SUPER easy to diagnose. Now if you have a missfire in a 1970 (insert engine here) you tell me how easy it is to figure out! It could be ANYTHING!!! Heck, after you replace all the plugs, wires, distributor cap (or points etc.), vacuum lines, and carbureator, it might run right. Today's electronics take ALL the fun out of working on a vehicle!

 

Work it out guys.

When a portion of a reply is taken and changed to reflect another position, you have to expect young horses to try to rebut.
The old engines usually didn't go as long in miles for a large number of reasons.
Oil was not as good.
Engine ran even with bad plugs and all the other effects of not changing oil as often as should have been done.
No Emssions to trigger repairs and the list could go on.
Now we have total dependency on PCM control that replaces and makes maintaince more expensive and FORCES upon the owner the need make repairs.
To argue the points needs to conider all the reasons and not just take narrow position.
Even today, a lot of diagnostics need to be done on some problems and at great expense just in time before the repairs are made.

 

Unbelievable! I guess they don't have humor in GA. It was a joke. Haven't you seen that sticker on stereos, TVs etc.?

 

Hey, I wasn't gettin upset. But I know what you mean. The "no user servicable parts" sticker has already come to tractors. You can't do ANYTHING to them aside from oil changes. You have to take the thing to the dealership (or get them to come get it) for almost anything. They have an EXTREMELY sophisticated engine/hydraulic management system that is almost impossible to interface with unless you have a laptop and their sofware. Even the mechanics at JD have problems with it.

I was just answering your question... I was in a BIG hurry when I wrote it, so maybe it didn't come out right...